Mojave, mo' problems
by Tatyana Witwicky
Summary: After surviving a gun shot to the head, Kyrie Swanson was on a mission. A mission to find out why she was shot and where she fell into the thick of things. On her way, she meets a broken sniper who needs an escape. Way later romance.
1. Chapter 1

I'm starting yet another Fallout story!

This time New Vegas!

Character bio:

Name: Kyrie Swanson

Hair color: Black

Hair style: Pixie cut, much easier to be a courier without having to worry about her hair getting in her way. She ended up chopping it off herself with a knife.

Eye color: Green

Appearance: Pretty yet she doesn't really like dressing up. She was always a tomboy growing up in her small town. Short, skinny, flat chested. Very boylike much to her annoyance. Always likes to wear home made outfits such as her cruiser outfit, a pair of biker goggles, and a scarf.

Personality: Sarcastic, kind of a space cadit, never afraid to say what's on her mind. She can be nice when she wants to be.

Skills: Quite excellent with guns, especially sniper rifles. She is quite proud of her Lock pick skills. She is able to take apart a gun, clean it, put it back together in under an hour.

Anywho, I am very proud of this Fallout character.

Eventual romance but not until way later.

I only own Kyrie!

Enjoy!

xx

Mojave...Mo' problems!

xx

**Chapter 1**

One for my baby

xx

Craig Boone was always a patient man.

He had to be. It was part of the job.

Sharp eyes gazing over the dark desert, he saw little too nothing of any movement. A few molerats here, a couple of Gecko's there...nothing worth wasting any ammo. Looking through his scope, he gazed down the long stretch of deserted highway. Maybe something other then a mutated animal would come within his line of sight. Maybe a stray Legionarrie, but he couldn't get his hopes up.

Movement caught his eye, and he readied his rifle. Maybe he would get his wish afterall.

"Hello...who do you have here?" He muttered to himself, noticing a figure walking up the road towards the town. A soft green light illuminated from the persons wrist, lighting their path.

He watched with interest as the small child (whoever this person was was short, so he could only assume it was a child) finally stopped at the foot of the Dinosaur, gazing up at it in awe. The mysterious person then removed what appeared to be a pair of biker goggles and a scarf.

This person wasn't a child at all. It was a young adult, no older then nineteen, maybe twenty. And it was a she.

She had short black hair that looked as if she rolled in dirt, her small face was encrusted with dust and grim from the unforgiving desert and there was a trail of blood on her small neck. On her back, she sported a modded out Hunting rifle, which was impressive.

Who was this girl?

Boone continued to watch her as she continued to walk to the hotel entrance. She stopped suddenly, looking right where he was. She had incredibly large eyes as they shifted back and forth. Smart girl, aware of her surroundings.

"Wonder what her story is?" He asked himself. Shrugging, he continued to watch over the wasteland, not seeming to know he would get a visitor soon. One that would change his life for the better.

**xxx**

Kyrie Swanson yawned as she entered the old motel building. She was beyond excausted, every one of her limbs hurt, and not to mention a bunch of sand had gone down her pants. Not very comfortable in the slightlest.

Dusting the dirt off of her clothes, she approached the counter. "Um, excuse me?" She asked.

The woman turned around with a kind expression. A little too kind. Which was slightly creepy in her book.

"Why hello, dear." She said with a mid western accent. Kyrie felt a sense of familairity.

She remembered back at her farm town in Montana before she up and left at the tender age of fifteen. Her mom would always ask why she couldn't be like Kyra or Reese, her two older sisters.

Kyra was the oldest. And the bossiet. She always had to have her own way or it wasn't going to fly at all. She was tall, well built in the chest region, had long black hair and the prettiest blue eyes in the city. Or so she thought anyway. She and Kyrie had always butted heads, especially over how Kyrie looked or dressed.

Reese was the middle sister. She was pretty much like Kyra, only with slightly shorter hair. But she and Kyrie's arguments would sometimes turn in full on fist fights, which would usually involve Reese tattling to their mom, and Kyrie with a spilt lip. But she didn't give a shit. She hated her sisters.

But not as much as her Mother. Her mother was the devil incarnate. Slapping her around, always putting her down, pulling her hair, you name it.

Her father had died when she was little, and with his death went her protection from her mom and her sisters.

Kyrie wasn;t the best looking girl in the group. She was short, skinny, didn;t really have much in the chest department, and she was just...different.

Her mom always made it out to be that she was a outcast, a freak, a weird-o blah blah.

But really, Kyrie was resourceful. She knew how to live off the land, shoot guns, and pick locks. Not to mention, she could survive a point blank shot to the head with a 9 mm.

Huh. The odds seemed to be in her favor.

She used to have long hair like her sister, but in a fit of rage and rebellion, she took her mom's cleaver and chopped it off. Then grabbed what she could carry (which wasn't much but enough) and fled the small town, hitching a ride with a traveling merchant until they reached Primm, where she got a job as a Courier.

That was four years ago.

She doubt her family missed her. She sure as hell didn't miss them.

"Uhh..Hi." She waved a gloved hand. "Yeah, so, I'm a traveler, I would like..a..a room." Why was she stammering?

"Oh of course, dearie...only a hundred caps and you can stay as long as you see fit." The woman said in a kind tone.

_Hundred caps for a room? Good god._ But she really needed a place to stay and to store her spare equipment. She could always come back for it later if need be.

She counted out the precious little guys and handed them to the woman, who placed them behind the counter in the old cash register.

"I hope you enjoy your stay! I treat all those I meet with nothing but comfort!"

Eh?

"Umm...we never met." Kyrie said slowly, starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Oh where are my manners.." The woman held out a wrinkled hand. "I'm Jeannie May, and I own this hotel in this beautiful town of Novac, I see all kinds of folks pass through here."

That caught Kyrie's attention. "You didn't happen to see a guy with a checkered coat walk through here?"

"You know him?"

"You could say that."

Jeannie May pondered for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I did see someone like that not that long ago with a couple of great Khans. Had his nose up so high, he couldn't see past the clouds. Typical city folk."

Kyrie waited for her to finish. When she didn't say anything for the next few minutes, the girl spoke in a tone of annoyance. "Any clue of their whereabouts now?"

"Oh, well, my guess is the Strip, ask Manny Vargas, he'd know better then me."

"Thanks for the help." Kyrie turned her back to the woman, and rolled her eyes. _Insane old woman who reminds me of my evil mother._ She shuddered as she exited the lobby and made her way outside.

On her way up to her room, she couldn't help but stare at the head of the large dinosaur. Why did she feel like she was being watched as she approached the town? Was there someone up there?

Opening the door to her room, she nearly squealed at the sight of the large queen sized bed. Throwing her hunting rifle onto the couch, she collasped on the soft surface, not even boithering to take off her shoes or her goggles. It felt good sleeping on an actual bed instead of an abandoned bed roll or on the ground.

With the thought of revenge on her mind, she fell into a deep untroubled sleep.

**xx**

The next morning, she woke up to the bright rays of sunlight blinding her and to the puddle of saliva on the pillow. 'Nasty.' She grumbled, wiping her mouth.

She felt better then she had in days. Sitting up, she stretched, making loud noises of contentment when she felt the vertibres in her back pop one by one.

"Fuck...long trip ahead of me, I don't even know where the fucking trip is, like I've ever been there." She grumbled to herself as she got up, heading to the bathroom to wash the smeared grim on her pale face.

She felt better when she felt the cold and unradiated water splash on her face. "Ahh...better!" She sighed.

Picking up her hunting rifle, her supple pack, and all her ammo, she opened the door to greet the day. Inhaling deeply the morning air, she looked down at the courtyard and saw a man walking to his room. She leaned over the railing so she could get a good look at him. He was tall, muscular, and he looked..angry. He looked like he didn't belong here. On his head was a blood red beret, like the ones the NCR wore. She had done her fair share of studying on them and she recgonized the First Recon emblem.

She nearly choked when she saw him stop and stare up at her, the frown lines on his face intensifying when he stared up at her. A few seconds passed before he continued on his way, the sound of a door slamming reaching her ears.

"What's his deal?" She muttered. Shrugging it off, she headed downstairs. She was so busy checking her pip-boy map, she didn't see another man exiting his own room until she ran head long into him, knocking her small frame to the ground.

"Whoa, I'm sorry, didn't see you!" A tanned hand reached down to help her up. Kyrie took hold of the hand, lifting her goggles up to rest on top of her head.

"It's all good!" She said with a grin.

"Don't think I've ever seen you here before." The man, who had curly black hair, said, looking her up and down. 'What's a little kid like you doing here?'

Kyrie felt a vein throb in her temple. "My name is Kyrie and I'm no little kid...I'm nineteen years old and in case you're wondering, I'm not short..I'm vertically impaired."

"I meant no offense." The man held up his hands in a surrender motion. "I'm Manny...Manny Vargas."

"Really?" Kyrie exclaimed. "That is awesome, I have something to ask you and it's crucially important."

Manny rose an eyebrow. "Shoot."

"Have you seen a man in a checkered suit? He and I have some...'unfinished business' to discuss."

Manny then told her everything he knew...which wasn;t all that much but it was enough. He told her about when he used to be a Great Khan, which was a tribe out in Red Rock Canyon. Straining her memory, she remembered that Benny did have a couple of body guards with him that night.

"Last I heard, they were heading to Boulder City, may want to check there."

"Thanks. One more question."

"Once again, shoot."

"Who was that guy with the beret?"

"Who? Boone?" Manny asked. "Oh, he's the night sniper that watches over the town."

"What's his deal?"

"You feel brave, ask him yourself when it's his shift again."

Kyrie smirked.

**xx**

**Later that night:**

Kyrie had snuck into the Dinosaur souvnier shop at around ten at night. 'I really hope he doesn't shoot me in the face, I will like my face not shot at.' She sang a little tune to herself as she climbed the stairs. Reaching the door, she slowly opened it and saw his muscular form standing there, gun in hand as he stared over the vast desert.

"Uh..Hi."

Boone jumped with a yell and turned around. "Goddamnit, don't sneak up on me like that! What do you want?"

Kyrie raised an eyebrow. "Expecting visitors?" She replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah. I guess maybe I am. But not like you."

The tone of his voice suggested his was a misture of surprised and annoyed.

"Huh. Maybe it was you I was expecting all along."

"Come again?" She asked. For some reason, his voice made her heart pound. Was that a normal emotion when hearing a guy talk?

"Why are you here?" He asked, his tone snarling now.

"I was just checking out the view." She replied, her small arms crossed over her stomach. This guy was way taller then her but she didn't feel intimidated. everybody was taller then her it seemed.

"I think you better leave." He said in a angry tone.

"Just making friendly conversation, god." She snapped back, annoyed at his cold demeanor.

"I don't have friends here." Was his short response.

"Wel, I'm not from here." She countered, grinning smugly.

Boone's face took on a thoughtful look. He was thinking of something, and she wanted to know what.

"No. No, you're not, are you? Maybe you shouldn't go. Not just yet." His soft tone caused her to raise her eyebrows.

"Why is that?" She asked, curiosity ringing clear in her voice.

"I need someone I can trust." He said simply. "You're a stranger. That's a start."

Kyrie didn't know what to think. First the man was telling her to get out of his face and now he was saying he trusted her because she wasn't a local. What was going on with him?

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, feeling intrigued by this point.

Boone took a deep breath. "I want you to find something out for me." He started. "I don't know if there's anything to find but I need someone to try."

Kyrie nodded, trying to see his eyes through the sunglasses he wore.

"My wife was taken from our home by Legion slavers while I was on watch." He explained, malice creeping into his tone as he spoke. Kyrie felt his anger.

"They knew when to come and what route to take, and they only took Carla." The way he said her name was enough to get her to agree but she let him continue. "Someone set it up. I don't know who."

"So, you're trying to track your wife?" She asked slowly, trying to understand what he was asking.

"My wifes dead." He snapped, causing her to step back slightly. "I want the son of a bitch who sold her."

"Okay, alright, sorry." She snapped back in defense. "What do I do when I find this person?"

"Bring him out in front of the nest here while I'm on duty." He explained. "I work nights."

He then took off the beret he was wearing, revealing a shaved head. "I'll give you my NCR beret to put on. It'll be our signal, so I'll know you're standing with him."

She looked over the soft beret in her small hands. "Then what?" She asked.

"Then I'll take care of the rest. I need to do this myself." He said with a determined tone masked with anger.

"Alrighty." She stuffed the beret into her pack. "I'll see what I can do to help you out."

"Good. I'll make it worth your while." He said. Kyrie felt a little fluttery when he said that but ignored it. What was this feeling she was feeling? Must be indigestion. Damn bighorner steak. She was about to leave when a strong hand clamped down on her small shoulder. "And one more thing. We shouldn't speak again. Not until it's over." With that, he turned back to the desert, watching the sand swith sharp eyes.

"Okie dokie." She muttered, shutting the door behind her.

xx

Sitting on the stairs of the Dinosaur, she rested her head in her hands, trying to think of someone in the town that would sell Boone's wife.

No-bark was an insane old man but he wouldn't hurt anyone.

Manny was a possibility. He told her how he and Boone's wife didn't get along at all, in fact he hated her with a passion. But he didn't seem the type to sell anyone.

The McBrides were too kind to sell anything, even their brahmin.

Jeannie May on the other hand. Something seemed off about that woman. She looked as if she was hiding something.

Movement from the lobby caught her attention, leaping up, she crouched behind the tail and watched as said woman shut the door without lcoking it and made her way to her house.

"Well, Miss Jeannie May Crawford...let's see skeletons you have in your closet." Walking casually, making sure no one was watching, she silently opened the door and snuck inside. Sneakily, she headed behind the counter. 'What do we have here?' She mumbled, noticing the shiny surface of the floor safe. Looking over the lock, she found it was too difficult to open, so with skill, she picked at it with her lucky bobby pin and the screwdriver.

After a few minutes, she heard the familair click of the lock opening and she swung the safe open. "Nice, money.." She scooped the caps into her bag along with a magazine called, 'Meeting people.' What really caught her attention was a scroll, rolled up nicely and tied shut with a small piece of string.

Unraveling it, she read it over, her heart plummenting.

It was a Bill of Sale.

_'We, the resprensitives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day day bargained and purchased from Jeannie May Crawford of the township of Novac the exclusive rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one thosand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. We warrant the slave and her young to be sound, healthy, and slaves for life. We conveint with the said Jeannie May Crawford, that we have full power to bargain and her offspring. Payment of an additional five hundred caps will be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be guaranteed by possession of this document.'_

Kyrie felt the color drain from her face as she leant against the wood counter. She felt sick to her stomach.

Carla Boone...and her unborn child. Dead. Boone's wife and their unborn baby. Dead.

"She was pregnant." Kyrie seethed. "Pregnant! That bitch sold her and her unborn baby...bitch!" Pocketing the Bill of sale, she stood up and took notice of the neatly organized Lobby. After looting the place, she headed back outside and followed the path that lead to Jeannie May's house.

Fighting to keep a cool composure, she knocked loudly on the door. Jeannie May opened the door, looking tired. "Little late for a visit, dear. Everything alright?"

_Cut the nice act, Granny._ Kyrie thought savagely, faking a smile. "Yeah, it's just I found something out in front of the dinosaur and it's totally amazing, you should come check it out."

"Can it wait until morning?"

"No, no! you have to come see it now!" Kyrie exclaimed. "It won't be there much longer! Come on!"

"Well, alright, if you say so child." Slipping on her shoes, Jeannie May followed Kyrie until they reached the pile of rocks.

"Well where is it?"

"Oh it's here.." Faking a yawn, she reached into her pocket for the beret and fit it snugly around her head. "Sorry, just got this thing, wanna wear it."

"Isn't that Bo..." Her words were cut off when her head exploded in a shower of brain matter, bone, and blood. The red flecks hit Kyrie's goggles, staining them red but she simply wiped them clean with her torn fingerless gloves.

"Aww man, I got stuff on my thing!" Kyrie grumlbed, wiping blood from her arm and her vest. Glancing up at the mouth, she smirked and gave a thumbs up before glancing down at the headless corpse of Jeannie May Crawford.

"May you rot in hell for what you did, you murdering bitch." She growled out, before making her way up to the dinosaur. "I may not have known Carla, but she didn't deserve that."

xx

Walking up the stairs, she opened the door and saw Boone still facing outward, his gn drawn. Turning at the sound of the door closing, he gave her a look that she couldn't read. Was that satisfaction?

"So, that's it then." He said quietly. "How'd you know?"

Kyrie took a deep breath. "I had a hunch right when I met her. Something didn't seem right, I tried asking her about your wife and she would quickly change the subject."

"That's it? A hunch?" His tone went from quiet to furious.

"No, let me finish." She said in a defensive tone. "I also found this.." She handed him the scroll. "It's the Bill of Sale for Carla..." She gave him a look of sympathy as he read it over. "I'm sorry, Boone."

His expression didn't change as he read the bill. He then proceeded to crumple it up and fling out of the dinosaur's mouth, his fists clenched.

"Thanks for finding that." He muttered.

"Hey, no problem." She said quietly, not quite knowing what to say to the broken man. What could you say to a guy who lost everything?

She jumped slightly when he handed her a small pouch. "What's this?" She asked, not quite sure what to do.

"That's all I can offer." He kept his eyes down the whole time. Kyrie shook the bag, the distinct sound of caps jingling around made her eyebrows rise.

"I can't take your money." She muttered, trying to hand the pouch back to him but he pushed it back.

"Just take it." He said, sounding irritated.

Shrugging, she tucked the small pouch into her bag. "So, what are you gonna do now?"

Boone shrugged. "I don't know. I won't be staying. Not much point anymore except hunting legionarres."

He then gave her a hard look.

"Maybe I'll wander. Like you."

An idea suddenly hit Kyrie like that bighorner bull did on her way to this town. "Hey, maybe we can 'wander'", She made quotation marks with her fingers as she spoke. "Together."

"You don't wanna do that." He said without even a pause. She gave him a annoyed look.

"Oh come on!" She whined. "Like you said, there's pretty much nothing for you here but memories and not very good ones, mind you." She saw him raise his eyebrows.

"So what do you say?"

Boone was silent for a minute before speaking again, with a air of annoyance.

"Fine, let's get out of here."

"By the way, I'm Kyrie." She said, holding out her small hand which was engulfed by his way bigger one. "Kyrie Swanson."

"Craig Boone."

xx

Who baby! This was fun to write out!

Lemme know what you think!

Hopfully I got Boone's character right!

Any quest requests or moments, feel free to speak up!

Adios!

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

xx

Chapter 2

Pork'N''Beans and the conversations they bring

xx

Boone watched with interest as Kyrie whistled cheerfully as they walked down the long stretch of highway. Looking back, he saw the silouette of that damn dinosaur disapear over the horizon until it was gone, and he felt an odd sense of relief.

Novac was no longer his home.

"I wonder what Boulder city is gonna be like?" Kyrie spoke up, scratching at her short black hair. "I've been too a few places near there but never there itself. This should be interesting!"

He didn;t reply. He knew what Boulder City was like. A pile of rubble and memories that he wished to forget. But he wasn't going to tell her that, for some reason, her cheerful attitude made it seem impossible.

Checking her pip-boy, she smiled cheerfully at the screen. "According to this map, we should be there in a few hours time."

"What's a few hours time?" He asked, feeling his eye twitch. This girl was way too cheerful for the wastes.

"Uhh...what were we talking about?" She asked, her green eyes showing confusion behind her goggles.

"Never mind." He grumbled.

Shrugging, she picked up a small pebble from the torn tarmac and tossed it at a lone street sign, laughing as it bounced off the worn metal with a loud clang.

"Cut that shit out!" He snapped, snatching her wrist before she could do it again. 'Someone could hear us!'

"Get the fuck off of me!" She snapped, wrenching her small wrist free. What the hell? What a mood change. He quickly released her small wrist and she withdrew it to her chest.

"Sorry." He muttered.

Shaking her head, she looked down, slightly ashamed. "It's okay, sorry for snapping."

"It's fine."

"I just don't like people grabbing me." She muttered, kicking the pebbles by this point. "Bring's back some pretty nasty memories."

"Ah." He said, understanding. "Trouble on the homefront?"

"You really wanna know about it?"

"Not really, but I'm sure that won't stop you." He said, shelding his eyes against the blinding sun.

Kyrie smirked. "Well, I can always tell you all about it later. My past isn't the happiest." She continuned kicking various pebbles. "And I sure as hell don't want to bring down the mood." She grinned cheekily at the Ex-soldier.

She then swept her short bangs back to reveal that little round scar on her forehead.

"You can tell me about that, though." He spoke up, pointing to her scar.

"What?" She asked in confusion. "That?" She waved her hand like it was no big deal. "That's nothing too exciting."

"That sort of looks like a gun shot wound." He observed.

Kyrie rose her eyebrow at him. "Well, aren't we observant?" She replied somewhat snidely. "Well, my friend, that is because it is...dur." He rose his own eyebrow at her speech. Did she always talk like that?

"I was just on what I thought was a normal delivery job when I was ambushed. All I remember is someone hitting me in the head with a shovel, waking up to see a man in a checkered suit holding the chip I was carrying, then him pulling out a 9mm pistol and shooting me in the head, so the rest is blurry." She talked about it like it was a normal thing. "So that is why I am on a mission, find him and get him to talk."

Boone rose an eyebrow. This girl had spunk, no doubt about that. She was young, eager, and willing to face her problems head on. Someone like that was rare out here in the wastes.

A loud grumbling noise reached his ears, causing him to get his rifle ready. He turned to look at his companion when he noticed her blushing and placing a hand on her small stomach.

"Hah..I'm hungry."

Kneeling down, she swung her bag from over her shoulder, set it on the pavement, and dug through it. Boone snuck a glance at the contents and once again felt his eyebrows raise. This girl was loaded. Ammo, bobby pins, another outfit, water, bottles of whiskey and vodka, magazines, a .44 magnum pistol, pre-war books, and various kinds of food.

Pulling out a bottle of purified water she got from Goodsprings and a can of pork'n'beans, she closed her bag, swung it over her shoulder, and went over to the side of road, making herself comfortable on a rock.

"We should keep moving." He said, not really feeling comfortable.

"Why? Boulder City's not going anywhere." She said, prying the can open with her combact knife and digging in. "You know, for being two hundred years old, this stuff ain't half bad." She took a giant spoonful and chewed on it contently. "And I found out something pretty amazing. If you master your way past the gag reflex, all kinds of food possibilities open up."

"Huh." He muttered, feeling sort of hungry himself. "Where did you learn that?"

'You learn alot while wandering for four years.' She shrugged. She then handed him a slightly bent spoon. 'Wanna share? I promise I don't have cooties.'

Taking the spoon in his large hand (her hand seemed so small compared to his), he scooped out a spoonful and tried to swallow it without gagging. 'Heh, maybe I should learn that.'

'Well, also this stuff is kind of...' She paused, trying to think of a good word. 'Slimy.' She took another bite. 'Want some water?'

"Sure." He took the canteen in his from her and took a big gulp. The water felt good against his dry throat and in his stomach. "Thanks."

"You're welcome!" She chirped, finishing off the can. Boone didn't want anymore and she wasn't about to let the beans go to waste. Finishing the can, she tossed it behind her and threw the spoon she used way off in the distance. 'I'll just find a new one.' She said to the confused sniper. "Well, come on!" she grinned cheekily. "Let's amskray."

Boone stood, stretching slightly. "How old are you anyway?"

She gave him a quizzical look. "Nineteen...why do you ask?"

"You seem to know how to live out here." He gestured to the vast desert. "Does it come from wandering?"

'Of course, things are learned best when experienced." She shrugged, now looking around the ground, adjusting her dirty goggles. "Living on your own for four years can really shape you up."

"You've been on your own since you were fifteen?" He asked, sounding amazed.

'That is correct." She said. "Ran away from home, made it to Primm, got a job...and so on and so forth."

Boone nodded. To say he was impressed with her survival capabilities would be an under statement. Even experienced soldiers had no clue how to live off the land in case of a dire need.

'What else did you learn?' He asked.

"I learned the weak point on a Radscorpion is it's tail, how to stay calm in situations that look they are gonna end in blood shed, and pretty much how to talk my way out of shitty conversations." She smirked up at him.

'Impressive."

Kyrie's eyes suddenly lit up. "Look!" She pointed to a prickly cactus, bearing ripe friut on it's branches. Running over to the plant, Kyrie carefully began to pick the prickly pear fruits, checking the ripeness by giving them a slight squeeze before placing them in her bag.

"Now if only we had a bloatfly." She pondered, scratching her chin, deep in thought.

"Why a bloatfly?" He asked, feeling slightly horrified.

"Then I can make us some bloatfly sliders. Which are way more delicious then they sound, believe me." She then took her combact knife out and stabbed the plant, holding her canteen over the large slit as water poured from it. "That should be enough until we get to Boulder City."

As they continued on their way, Boone couldn;t help but get lost in thought.

Where in the Sam hell did she learn that a prickly pear and a bloatfly would make a decent meal?

'Rolling, rolling, rolling...just keep on rolling...C'mon Boone! Join me!' She laughed as she sang a song.

_Oh this is gonna be a long walk._ He felt his head start to ache.

xxx

So far, so good hopefully!

Aww...they bonded...sort of.

Goodbye Novac...Hello Boulder City!

Review!


	3. Chapter 3

xxx

Chapter 3

The Lonesome Drifter and the Mysterious Stranger

xxx

'Come on, Kyrie, you're lagging!' Boone snapped, waling ahead of the whining nineteen year old.

'I'm coming!' She was busy looking over various roots and plants to make healing powder. 'This is a good one.' She muttered, stuffing it into her bag and running to catch up with her companion. 'You are an impatient man, you now that?'

'I don't like being out in the open like this, it's too quiet.'

'You are just being paranoid.'

'Am not.' He growled out.

'Are too.' She countered.

'Am not.'

'Are too.'

'I grew up with two bitchy older sisters, I'm quite good at this game.' She sing-songed. He rolled his eyes, feeling yet another migraine coming on. That couldn't be healthy for him.

Kyrie was about to say something else when all of sudden, she looked up, straining her ears as she listened closely.

It sounded like strumming.

'You hear music?' She asked.

'Yeah.' He muttered

Peering around the giant billboard, Kyrie's eyes widened when she saw a man sitting in front of a small campfire.

He had on a cool looking cowboy hat, a duster that looked like it saw better days, and next to him was a beautiful old accoustic guitar.

'Umm..hi' She said in a friendly tone, giving a small wave.

'Whata re doing?' Boone whispered hurriedly. 'You don't know this guy, how do you know he can be trusted?'

'I didn't know you and yet I talked to you, didn't I?' She snapped.

Damn. She had a point.

The man looked up, he had one hell of a mustache but yet he had a kind look to his eyes.

'Howdy, little lady.' He said.

Kyrie liked this guy already. 'What's your story stranger?'

The drifter sighed. 'My story's a long one, friend, and I can't say it's all that interesting.'

The girl sat down on the opposite side of the fire while Boone stayed standing. 'Nevertheless, we are interested.'

Boone rolled his eyes.

'Well, I was born in a small town out Montana way. Me and Ma didn't have much ever since my pa up and left.'

'Your father abandoned you?' She asked. Thoughts of her father raced through her head. Even though he didn't abandon them on purpose, it still hurt knowing that he was killed. It sort of felt like abandonment in her eyes.

'That he did.' The man continued. 'Never did know why. Ma always said he was a mysterious feller, even when he was with her.' He pondered on his next sentence. 'Like he was a stranger sometimes.'

Kyrie and Boone glanced at one another.

'Sounds like you miss him.' Kyrie commented, feeling sorry for the man. 'Is that why you're out here wandering?'

'Maybe.' He sighed. 'Maybe I just felt like I didn't belong at home.'

_You and me both my friend._ Kyrie thought, feeling a connection to this guy.

"It must've been hard growing up without a father.'

'It sure wasn't easy. Ma worked her fingers to the bone to make sure we had enough to survive and I worked in the coal mines from the time I was fifteen.' The man paused, the memory still hurting him at the thought of his mother.

'After Ma died, I guess I wanted to find my Pa and get some answers from him. Been out here ever since, but he sure isn't an easy man to find.'

'What are you going to do when you find him?' Shockingly, it was Boone who asked that. Kyrie looked at him in surprise.

The Drifter sighed. 'Can;'t say I really know. Maybe I'll just ask him why. Maybe I'll just punch him in the mouth.' He sighed in frustration. 'Hell, the more I think of it, the more the whole damn thing sounds like a bad idea.'

The man turned his tired gaze to the fire.

Kyrie chose her next words carefully. 'Sounds like you should move on, settle down maybe.'

The man nodded, looking slightly happier at the thought of that. "Maybe I should. You wouldn't happen to know where a guy with a guitar can get a job, do ya?'

They both shook their heads. 'Sorry, not at the moment.' Kyrie sighed.

'Ah well.' The drifter shurgged. 'It was worth a shot.'

'And as for your Dad, I wouldn't worry. He's out there somewhere. And who knows, maybe he is watching you right now.'

Little did they know how right she was.

Hiding in the shadows, a man wearing a long trench coat and a pre-war hat, watched as the courier, the sniper, and the drifter parted ways. Feeling pride for his estranged son, the Mysterious Stranger kept watch as he always did, protecting those in dire situations. He decided to follow this girl for a while.

Everyone needed a stranger looking after them.

A Mysterious Stranger.

xx

Hell yes!

Mysterious Stranger is the man! He always appears when I need him!

Review!


	4. Chapter 4

xxx

**Chapter 4**

The showdown at Boulder city

xxx

"Will you please turn that damn radio off!" Boone snapped. "I've heard that song three times already!"

"C'mon Boone, this song is amazing!" Kyrie laughed, singing along with the cheerful tune. "I've got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle! As I go right merrily along!" He actually didn't mind the music but did she have to sing along? Not to mention off key.

Boone felt his eye twitch. Why couldn't Mister New Vegas find some new songs?

"I've heard this song three fucking times in under half an hour!" He exclaimed, sounding irritated.

"Alright, alright." She giggled as she shut the radio station off on her pip-boy. Boone sighed in relief. Peace and quiet at last.

'Wonder how much farther?' Kyrie asked, checking the map on her pip-boy once again. 'It says to go that way.' She pointed up a rather steep hill, surrounded by Broc flower plants and cactuses. Boone felt the sweat run his face. It was unbearably hot in ths desert, but he kept moving on, ignoring the burning on his neck. A small tap on his arm made him look down. Kyrie was grinning at him, holding up a spare scarf.

"Here...for you neck." He took it carefully and tried to figure out a way to wear it. The darked hair girl grinned before motioning for him to bend down slightly.

"Not my fault I'm unbelievably short." She grumbled, tying it around his neck, making sure to keep it loose as to not cut off his air ways. That actually felt better, the material was light and not itchy, and aparently was absorbent.

"Thanks." He mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Welcome." She said with a grin, starting to head up the hill. Boone couldn't help but grin slightly, her cheeriness was getting to him.

"C'mon Booner!" She called from on top of the hill. His grin vanished. What did she just call him?

"I'd really prefer if you didn't call me that." He grumbled after trekking up the hill. Kyrie laughed quietly.

"I thought it was hilarious!" She gave his arm an affectionate punch. He decided to ignore the small teen, his gaze falling over the city. Or what was left of it.

Boulder City.

This place...brought back a lot of memories for the sniper. The idea the NCR had was to lure some of Caeser's troops into the city and bomb the hell out of it.

It was effective; but costly. Some good friends of the sniper had died in the explosion.

The city was nothing by this point but a pile of rubble. Only one establishment had survived but they hardly got any business. Not very many people came through this part.

"So this is Boulder city?" Kyrie asked, sounding put off at all the broken buildings and all the rubble.

"Try not to sound so disappointed." He muttered, giving her a hard look.

"Sorry." She said, brushing a few rocks away with her foot.

"It's fine." For some reason, he felt bad for snapping at her. What the hell was going on with him?

Looking around, Kyrie spotted a man wearing a green NCR beret standing at the front of some sort of fenced off area. "Whose that?"

Boone strained his eyes, trying to identify the mysterious person. "I'm not sure...but I'm sure you are going to go over there and find out, right?" Silence met his statement. He rose his eyebrow again. "Kyrie?"

He turned to see her already heading over there. "Figures." He grumbled, jogging to catch up to her.

"Yo, person I don't know!"

The man in the green beret gave the girl an odd look. "Can I help you?"

"I heard from the get go that some Great Khans have come through here, and I believe they may have something of mine."

The NCR lieutenant blinked slightly at her bold attitude. "Well, Miss...?"

"Kyrie Swanson." She said with her usual little grin.

"Well, Miss Kyrie, we've got a situation with said Great Khans and I'm afraid I can't let civilians in until this matter has been resolved."

Boone had finally caught up with his over excited companion. Seeing the Lieutenant, he immediatly stood to full height and saluted. "Sir." He said.

Kyrie gave him a 'Are you serious?' look before shaking her head and turning back to the man. "Anyway, what sort of situation are we taking about? Good, bad, somewhat good, somewhat bad?"

"Well, when you're dealing with Great Khans it's usually, well, bad." Boone rubbed at his temples, feeling yet another headache starting to form. "A couple of my soldiers have been taken captive."

"Ah, well my good.." She stopped in mid-sentence as she glanced at the name tag. "Daniel, it just so happens that I am known as a silver tongue serpent!"

"Silver tongued devil." Boone growled to her.

"Yeah, what he said." Kyrie grinned. "So maybe, just maybe, I can convince them to let them go."

Lieutenant Daniel raised a brow, debating on whether or not to send this girl. Maybe this could work?

"Alright, I'll comply, but once we hear shooting, we're coming in. Got it?"

Kyrie nodded,picking at the dirt under her nails. "Got it." She then handed him her hunting rifle and her bag so it wouldn't weigh her down and headed towards the door.

"Wait, hold on." A large hand clamped down on her shoulder, stopping her. Turning she saw Boone looking...worried? That was a new one.

"What's up?" She asked, giving his hand a smack.

"Okay, one question and I really wanna emphasize on this one when I say, are you fucking INSANE!" She winced at he last word, rubbing out her ears.

"Must you scream?" She sighed in annoyance. "Shockingly, I know what I'm doing. So, I'm doing this, I need information."

"Yeah but it is worth risking your life?" He asked in annoyance.

Kyrie gave him yet another, "Are you serious?", look before flipping her bangs up and pointing at the scar. "I don't have a choice, I have questions and they are the only ones who have answers for me. Boone, you can come with me or you can stay here." She then disappeared behind the makeshift door.

"Yeah, Boone, smooth..real smooth. Kyrie, wait up!" He followed.

xx

The tension in the clearing was so thick you could literally cut it with a knife. Numerous amounts of NCR personell were crouched down, guns at the ready, preparing for a possible gun down.

Kyrie looked back and forth between the Khans and the NCR, both groups glaring at one another.

"Oh boy, this isn't gonna be easy."

Boone stared down at her, his brown eyes somewhat twinkling. Somewhat. "Told you so."

Kyrie then openly mocked his tone by making an obnoxious face. "Told you so, told you so, shut the hell up." She grumbled, making her way forward, holding her hands up to show she was unarmed.

"The girl can go in, NCR trash stays out here." The female Khan snapped, giving Boone a cold glare. Boone's eyes widened, Kyrie was going in alone?

The Courier shrugged before heading forward, disappearing behind the door where the Khans who had ambushed her that night were.

_Don't get yourself killed, Kyrie._

xx

She regonized the two Khans right away. The mowhawks, the clothes, and the bandana. A stab of fury passed through the small woman as she stalked forward, her chin held high with determination.

"Hello." She said simply, coming into the dim light and crossing her arms.

The Khan with the bandana, Jessup, eyes widened to the size od saucers and he gasped:

"What the hell?" He sounded scared. Kyrie smirked, oh how the table have turned. "Your that courier Benny wasted back in Goodsprings. You should be dead!"

Kyrie glared daggers at the man, her heart pounding fast in her chest. "I got better." She said simply, sitting on the counter top, her green eyes blazing.

Jessup looked impressed, terrified but impressed. "And here I thought us Great Khans were tough to kill." He then took a deep breath, knowing about the situation he was most likely going to find himself in. "So what happens now?"

"Well happens now is that you tell me where the hell the Platinum chip I was delivering is, and I'd do it right about now." She said, her voice low and dangerous.

"Don't have it." Jessup replied, his eyes narrowing. "Benny stole it, right before he stabbed us in teh back." He then started shaking as rage took over. "He's probably back at the strip now, laughing at me."

_Making enemies wherever he goes, I'm shocked he isn't dead yet. _Kyrie thought to herself as she felt her anger subside.

"That's all I need to know." She said with a smirk, hopping down off the counter top. "But now, what's say we discuss negotiations."

"With who? The NCR? Hey, they back off, we alk out off here, no one gets hurt, simple as that." Jessup snarled.

"I'll tell you what, if you let the hostages go, I'll make sure they escort you off of their territory. How does that sound?"

Jessup looked like he was deliberating with his inner self but then he finally gave in. "Alright, fine, we'll let them go. But those bastards better hold up their end of the deal."

"Deal." She said, holding her small hand out.

xx

It was ten minutes later, a incredibly long ten minutes, when Kyrie exited the room where the Khan Leader was. She looked up at all the soldiers and gave a thumbs up, a smirk on her face as she went to untie the hostages.

Boone let out a breath he had no idea he was holding as Kyrie came back over to him. "Damn, I'm good." She smirked.

As she walked off, Boone felt his eye twitch slightly. Who was this girl?

Following her back to the Lieutenant, the relief in his eyes was clear. "Thank you for getting my men safely out of there."

"Hey, no problemo!" She waved it off. "I got my info, and my next destination. Now, about them.." she jabbed her thumb in the direction behind her, indicating the Great Khans.

"What was the agreement?" Leiutenant Daniel asked.

"They let the hostages go, you escort them back to where they live. Easy as that. And if you had any integrity at all, you'd do it."

The Leiutenant sighed, giving in. "Alright, we'll escort them back to Red Rock Canyon. Thank you for helping us out of this tight jam, Miss Kyrie."

She saluted, sort of, then hefted her bag back onto her shoulder and grabbed her hunting rifle and started on her way to The Strip.

Boone blinked. Now this was getting interesting.

He then kept his steady pace right next to her as they began their long trek to the place that brought back some memories for him.

Pleasant ones.

xx

FINALLY! This one was giving me hell and half!  
I hope I did it right, and yes I did change the title of the quest by a little bit.

Review!


	5. Chapter 5

xx

Chapter 5

Getting to know you.

xx

The sun was starting to set as the two companions continued walking

Kyrie yawned as they coninuted on their long walk. Boone then yawned as well, losing the fight to hold it back. Dammit, why did yawning have to be so contagious?

"God, I hope we get there soon." She mumbled, stretching her small frame, her skinny arms above her head as she felt her back pop. "All I've been looking at is sand, a tumbleweed, and your face."

"Why am I on that list?" He asked, giving her small glare.

"It's my list of the most exciting things I've seen on this walk." She said, smirking.

Yeah, walked right into that one. He rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, adjusting the scarf on his neck. Tumbleweeds more exciting then his face?

Speaking of which, a tumbleweed had tumbled over to them and stopped when it hit Boone in the leg. Looking down at the pesky plant, he made to kick it away but with a crunch, his foot went straight through the brittle twigs, and try as he could, his leg wouldn't come free.

"Oh perfect." He grumbled, trying to shake it off. But it ended up getting stuck even more.

Loud giggles reached his ears, making his face turn hot and he was sure it wasn't the heat. Kyrie had fallen to the ground with the force of her laughter, tears of mirth running down her face.

Boone glared at her, blushing even more.

'Want some help?' She asked through her laughter.

"No!' He snapped, getting irritated. After a few moments of no success, he grumbled in embarrasment. "Yes."

Kyrie shook her head with a smirk. "Hold on." Bending down, she took out her combat knife and started cutting away at the twigs and sticks.

"Careful with that thing!" Boone snapped.

"I know what I'm doing!" She snapped back before muttering under her breath. "Big baby."

"I can't really spot for you if you chop my leg off." He said, keeping his lower leg still as she finally set his foot free from the troublesome weed.

"Oh sure you could!" She said, laughing once again as Boone straightened out his pant leg. "I could you widdle you a leg out of said tumbleweed!"

Boone couldn't help but grin slightly at her joke. Looking up at the orange sky, he noticed afew stars starting to light up, indicating it was nearing dusk.

"Maybe we should make camp soon." He muttered, feeling the heat start to drop.

"Alright!" Kyrie said through her laughter, looking around for a good spot. It was always good to stick to high ground when making camp, you never know what could happen in the Mojave at night.

"There's a good spot!" She exclaimed, causing him to jump slightly.

"Jesus, must you yell?" He snapped in annoyance. "Something might hear us!"

She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I got excited!"

Boone felt yet another vein starting to throb in his temple, at this rate, he was most likely going to have a stroke before they even reached their destination.

Abou halfway to the small abandoned camp ground, Kyrie suddenly stopped short, looking down at the ground with wide eyes, her face losing all of it's color as she placed her goggles on her head.

Boone turned when he noticed she had stopped. "What now?" When he saw her face, he immediatley grew concerned. "Kyrie?"

She appeared to not have heard him, she was just staring at the one spot on the ground, all of her excitement from earlier gone and was replaced by a completely different emotion; fear.

"Kyrie, what's wrong?" He asked in a panic.

She looked up at him and he had to fight to step back at the look in her eyes. They were wide, her pupils were dilated showing she was terrified. Pointing down to the ground, he looked down and felt his own heartbeat increase.

A foot print.

A Deathclaw foot print, and it was fresh.

"Kyrie, come on. We got to move." He made sure to keep his voice low, just in case the creature was nearby.

The small girl didn't seem to hear him, she just stood there, her small hands clenched into fists that were so tight that her knuckles were turning white.

Without waiting for her to respond, the tall man grabbed her hand and dragged her away as quickly and quietly as he could. Looking back in the direction they were heading, he felt his eyes widen.

Right in the abandoned camp was the creature who left the foot print, sniffing the air and snarling lightly as he tired to find the source of the smell.

Trying to think clearly, Boone looked all around for a place to take cover. _C'mon, Craig, think!_ He thought viciously to himself. _Ah! _

Literally diving into teh ditch, dragging Kyrie with him, he held her close to him to keep her still. It was clear she was in a pure state of panic and would react without thinking, which would most likely get her killed.

The clicking, grinding scrapes of the Deathclaw's feet were literally right above them, the creature growling and snarling as it looked around. Kyrie's breathing had increased ten fold, causing her to cover her mouth to quiet herself.

"Shh...stay calm." He whispered in her ear, pressing her head closer to his chest. Kyrie nodded, her small hand clutching at his shirt desperatly. "And do as I say.."

Afte what felt like an eternity, the creature stalked away leaving a fresh track of foot prints in it's wake.

"Kyrie, listen to me, stay low and be quiet, and make for that old shack over there." He whispered to her. Adjusting her pack, she kept low to the ground, looking behind her every couple of seconds.

"I'm right behind you." He assured the frightened nineteen year old. "Go, go!"

Being sure to be quiet, Kyrie made a break for it, feeling her bag hit her in the back of the legs as she ran. Boone made sure she didn't fall over in her panic to get to the shack. After slamming the door shut, Kyrie leaned against the door, breathing heavily as she sank to the floor, her hands shaking as she scrubbed at her face, smudging the dirt and the grim and the sweat off of her skin.

"You okay?" He asked, keeping the concern hidden in his voice.

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay...Sorry about that."

"No problem." He sat down on the old, torn chair that was in the corner. "What happened back there? I've never seen you panic like that."

She looked up into the face of the man who saved her ass from getting killed.

"I...I really don't like Deathclaws.." She mumbled, looking down at her boots in embarrassment.

"I don't either but you were completely frozen. What happened?"

_Might as well tell him. _A little voice in her head taunted her, causing her to grumble slightly. But her brain was right, he was her companion and trusted comrade out here in this desert.

"You really wanna know?" She asked, her eyebrow raised. "It's kind of a long story."

"We've got all night." He said in his usual monotone tone.

Kyrie may have been shot in the head, but nothing short of death could make her forget that day.

xx

**14 years ago.**

**Butte, Montana**

_It was just supposed to be another day, a normal day. Well, as normal as it could be in the wasteland._

_"Today, my little Gecko, we are on the hunt!" Arthur Swanson declared, striking a pose, which made his daughter giggle._

_"Hunt for what, Daddy?" Five year old Kyrie asked._

_"I don't know yet, but whatever we come across, we shall hunt it!" He then gave out an exaggerated laugh, which caused the little girl to laugh more._

_Kyrie and Arthur Swanson were known as the Hunting pair of their family. While Kyra and Reese stayed at home with Mary, Kyrie would always go with her Dad on his scavenging travels, she loved it. She absolutely loved going to new places, meeting new people, and hunting for their food._

_For her fifth birthday, he had given her her very own BB gun and two hundred rounds of BB rounds. She was so happy when she saw it, unlike her mother who insisted that she start 'acting like a proper young lady.'_

_Yeah, right._

_Arthur then stopped short when he spotted something that nearly made his eyes pop out of his head._

_"Kyrie, honey, look at that!" He whispered in excitement._

_"What is it, Daddy?" She asked _

_He pointed to a large nest on the foot of a cliff. At first Kyrie couldn't figure out what kind of creature owned that particualr nest. So far, she could identify a Gecko nest, a Mantis nest, a radroach nest, and a caravor nest. But she had never seen this kind of Nest before._

_"Sweetie, that is a Deathclaw nest!" He practically squealed as he walked towards it, the small girl following behind him closely, keeping her eyes out for any sort of movement._

_"These eggs are worth two hundred caps each!"_

_Kneeling down to examine the eggs, Arthur reached down to pick one up to examine it when a noise caught his attention. Looking up, he saw off in the distance the last thing he wanted to see when he had his five year old daughter with him._

_The owner of said Nest._

_"Kyrie, honey, listen to Daddy." He said in a soft voice. Kyrie looked up at the tone of his voice, she had never heard that tone come from him before; He was afraid._

_"Daddy, what's wrong?"_

_"Kyrie! Listen to me, I want you to run as fast as you can...run back home and don't look back." His voice sounded so serious and determined. He then turned to her and gave her a kiss on her small forehead._

_"I love you, my little Gecko." He said in a sad tone, seeming to know what was going to happen._

_"Run." He growled out, getting his hunting rifle ready_

_"Daddy?" She asked again in a frightened voice._

_"Kyrie! Run! Dammit, run!" The frightened girl nodded before running as fast as she could in the direction they had come. "I'll be right behind you! Run, sweetie, run!"_

_And she did just that. She ran until she couldn't breathe, she ran until she felt like her legs were going to explode, and she hid in a ditch._

_An hour passed by and her father still hadn't shown up yet. He said he was right behind her, had something happened? Deciding it was safe enough to go look for him, she climbed out of her hiding place and looked around._

_"Daddy?" She called out into the open plain. There was no reply, which scared the already frightened five year old. "Daddy? Are you there?"_

_Heading back to where her Dad was last, she made sure to keep low to the ground the whole time, in case that Deathclaw thingy was still around._

_She recgonized the landscapes from earlier as she made her way back to the nest. "Daddy?" She called again. A loud noise made her turn around sharply in alarm. "Daddy?"_

_A gecko scurried off from behind the bushes, disappearing into the night. Kyrie let out a breath, she didn't know she was holding as she made her way forward._

_"Daddy, where are you?" She then let out a small yelp as she tripped over something. 'Owie.." She whined, rubbing at her scraped knee. She got a look at what she tripped over and felt her heart skip a beat._

_Her Daddy's modded out Hunting rifle._

_With great strain, she picked it up carefully and stood it up on it's stock. Being so tiny, it was way taller then her but she refused to just leave it. She'd find her Dad, give it back to him, and they would head home, just like they always did._

_"Daddy! Come on, we gotta go home!" She called again in fear. A horrible smell reached her nose, causing her to gag slightly._

_She had smelled that smell before, the smell of old blood, of decomposing flesh, and various other bodily fluids that couldn't be contained within the human body any longer._

_"Please, no..." She whimpered, hoping with all of her soul that it was coming from the one person she was looking for. All that was left of him was his hat and part of his arm..._

_Never before had felt this sort of grief and despair. No five year old should witness this..._

_She couldn't remember how she got home, but she dragged her Dad's old gun and his hat back to their house. She vaguely remembered her mom screaming at her when she walked into the house and threw the bloody hat onto the floor..._

_She could never forget that day..._

_xx_

Kyrie had the hunting rifle in her lap by the time she had finished her story.

"Then after that is when my mom became an alcholic, crazed psychotic cunt and my sisters were worse. Ten years of hell, then I got the fuck out of that place and never looked back."

Boone didn't know what to say. What could he say? He had no idea her childhood was that bad, not from the way she acted; so carefree.

"Do you wanna stop talking about it?" He asked uncomfortably.

"It actually feels good to talk about it...ya know, it takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders..." She grinned at him, her eyes showing her real emotion. The deep green gems gave off sadness and guilt.

"I can't help but think I could've prevented that from happening." She said, leaning her head back against the door.

"You were a five year old kid, you couldn't do anything." He assured her, leaning forward in the chair.

"I know, can't help but feel that way though." She then looked at him, this time her smile reaching her eyes. He couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw it.

"Uhh...Thanks...for saving my ass back there." She said a few minutes later.

Boone's eyebrow rose. What was she thanking him for?

"You're welcome." He said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

There was more to this girl then he thought.

How much more...

Well, he'd just have to find out.

xx

Ehh...could've been better but oh well!

Review!


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is a bit intense, I have never done this before so be nice!

Warning: Blood, gore, attempt rape, and violence galore!

xx

Chapter 6

Never take Shortness for helplessness.

xx

A few days had passed since Kyrie pretty poured her soul out to the Sniper, and things seemed to be back to normal. Kyrie was her usual talkactive self, while Boone just kept silent on the rest of their walk towards the Strip.

The Strip.

It's been a long time since the Sniper had been there. The bright lights, the people, the casinos; the memory of meeting Carla there. Kyrie seemed excited as she kept talking about anything ro anyone, twirling her newly found .44 Magnum between her fingers.

"I wonder what The Strip is like!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Have you been there? What is the best casino? Do they sell Nuka Cola? What about the area surrounding the Strip?"

Boone blinked at all the quwstions. "Alright, okay, don't hurt yourself...Yes, I've been to the Strip, my vote is The Tops, I'm sure they sell Nuka cola fro hyper travellers like you, and as for the area surrounding the Strip.." He paused, trying to find the right words.

Kyrie looked at him impatiently, waiting for him to speak. "Booner? You gonna say something or did your train of thought get stuck on the tracks?"

He glared at the nickname before pressing his finger to her forehead, pushing back slightly. She struggled against him for a bit until she finally gave up and slumped back, grumbling.

He smirked slightly, she looked so young.

"Freeside is not exactly a happy place to be, Kyrie." He said. "Drunks, Chem addicts, thugs...you best not be traveling those streets alone."

"Point noted." She said, reholstering her Magnum, which was good because the twirling was making the Sniper nervous, and she continued walking with her hands folded behind her head.

The gate of Freeside soon came into view, not to mention the tower over looking the gate. Kyrie stared up at the tall building, shielding her eyes with her small hands as she looked up. "Wow, what's that place?"

Boone looked up, recgonizing it right away. "That is the Lucky 38."

"I bet the inside is amazing." She commented, feeling her insides swell up in excitement.

"No one knows, it's been sealed up tight since before the bombs fell." He told her, causing her to stare at him in shock.

"No one's ever been inside?" She asked in wonder.

Boone shook his head, staring at the young courier. Her green eyes were wide with eagerness that only the innocent seemed to have nowadays but that innocence was only found in kids. kyrie had been through alot, from losing her father to a Deathclaw, taking abuse from her own mother, getting shot in the head, and then making it to Novac on her own. But her eager innocence was still there, she didn't let anything stop her.

Boone felt something in his chest, that only seemed to happen nowadays when he saw someone he liked. It happened when he first saw Carla...was he developing feelings for Kyrie? The Nineteen year old, guns toting Courier?

He shook his head quickly, dismissing the thought. _Stop thinking about that!_ He mentally scolded himself, not seeming to notice the small hand waving in front of his face.

"Yo! Boone! Anybody home?" She called, snapping her fingers. He blinked slightly, snapping out of his daze.

"Sorry." He muttered in embarrassment.

"You coming or not?" She asked impatiently, hauling her bag over her small shoulders. "I hope this place had some traders, I got some shit to get rid of."

The short trip to the gate was uneventful, save for the small encounter near the door. Three guys in leather jackets were standing there, smoking cigarettes and talking loudly. When one of them looked up and saw the small Courier, he made a face and then said loudly to the other two:

"Why is it all the good ones are either dead or whores?"

Boone saw red at that. How dare they talk about her that way?

Kyrie surprised him by simply staring at the young man. "I know right? Considering those are the only kinds of girls who would have any interest in you, my friend."

The man's eyes darkened in anger. "The fuck did you just say to me?"

She smirked. "You heard me, now step aside Junior."

The man stormed over to her and stood in front of her, his arms folded defiantly. "What don't you make me, squirt?"

The black haired girl placed her bag on the ground near Boone's feet and then looked up at the thug with blazing green eyes. "You sure about that?" She growled out. "Because I will knock your lights out."

"Don't think I'm scared to hit a girl, especially one that looks like a twelve year old boy." The thug sneered.

"You shut up." Boone growled in anger, reaching back for his rifle. He stopped when Kyrie placed a small hand on his arm.

"I got this." She muttered with a smirk. "Well, then come on, tough guy. Hit me, I dare you." She smirked even wider.

The thug smirked and reared a fist back. "I'm going to enjoy this." He then swung his fist forward and before Boone or the other thugs could do anything, something happened that no one was expecting.

Kyrie swiftly caught the fist in her small one, and with a heave of effort, and a bending of her back, she threw the thug over her and onto the ruined tarmac with a thud. "You gonna let us pass now?" She stepped over his groaning form and picked her bag back up. "Good day, gentleman."

She then walked forward, leaving behind a gobsmacked Boone and some shocked King gang members.

"Hold it, hold it!" Boone exclaimed, causing the small girl to turn.

"What's up?" She asked.

"That was amazing!" Boone seemed in shock. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Kyrie grinned. "Utah. Learned it from the trader I was travelling with, she basically told me it works great on punks whose mouths are bigger then their brains." Turning back to the gate, she struggled to open it before the Sniper stepped forward and did it for her. Suddenly, what felt like a tidal wave of heat hit the both of them, not to mention a smell that was quite atrocious.

"Good God, what is that?"

"That, Kyrie, is the smell of over-crowding." Boone replied, holding the gate open for her. Walking into the new city, she looked around at the broken building's, the drunks on the sidewalk begging for caps, kids running around in rags, people walking by scratching violently at their arms. Kyrie knew that symptom too well...her mother would always scratch when she needed a fix, mostly Jet and Psycho withdrawls.

Someone then bumped into her, rather roughly at that, rough enough to knock her to the ground. And before Boone could help her up, the person who rammed down his comrade grabbed her bag and ran off with it, leaving the two stunned travellers in shock.

"HEY!" Kyrie yelled, leaping to her feet and bolting after the guy. "Come back here! That's mine!"

"KYRIE!" Boone yelled in alarm, taking off after her. Man, this girl was fast! "Get back here!" Dammit, she was gonna ger herself killed on these streets and like hell was he gonna let that happen.

Kyrie didn't seem to hear him as she ran faster after the thief, dodging people and ghouls who were wandering around and quickly moving out of the way of the pursuing girl. She had almost caught up with him when he suddenly turned into an alleyway with two dumpsters at the end of it.

"Give that back!" She growled out in anger when she was suddenly tackled from behind by the two most foul smelling men she had ever seen...or smelled in her lifetime.

"Lookie what we got here, boys!" One exclaimed, pinning her down on the ground. "Nice one on teh looting, Lou!" The man who stole her bag started rummaging through it, which was pissing the small courier off even more, her legs kicking out and her small fists

"Get off of me!" She growled out in anger, a feeling of dread creeping into her chest. She'd seen this kind of thing before and it usually never ended well for the victim. But unfortunatly for these men, they picked the wrong 'victim' to mess with.

xx

Boone was in a state of panic. But he was terrified at this moment and time, he had lost sight of his partner.

"Damn it, Kyrie." He growled out, running up and down the streets, looking through the alley ways, ramming people out of the way, and calling her name, trying to find any trace of her.

"Kyrie!" He called again, straining his ears to hear anything that may lead him to her. He had to find her before something bad happened, which was most likely going to happen in Freeside.

The sounds of shouting soon reached his ear drums, shouts of four people; three of them being male and another one...No!

Eyes widening behind his sunglasses, he holstered his gun and bolted to the source of the noise. Rounding a corner, he felt the rage inside of him build at the sight that he saw. There was Kyrie on her back, struggling against three men at least twice her height and at least three times her weight. One had her arms pinned above her head while the other was tyring to force her legs apart, but she was fighting it, hissing and spitting like a Nightstalker.

"Don't fight us, little girl.." One drawled out, leaning down and running his tongue up her neck, causing her to yell out in disgust and kick him in the face when her leg managed to get loose.

"Ohhh...we got a fighter!"

"Hey!" He shouted in anger, not being able to take it anymore. The three men looked up, one of them holding a switch blade, or a lead pipe, or a baseball bat.

"Look what we got here, boys!" The man, who Boone guessed was the 'Leader', stepped forward, twirling his blade expertly.

"Let her go." Boone growled, his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. The man holding Kyrie down than forced her to her feet roughly, holding her in a choke hold. Kyrie's small hands were grabbing and clawing at his arm but he didn't let go.

"What're you gonna do, NCR?" The man growled, smacking the lead pipe into his other hand menacingly.

Taking his rifle, Boone then smirked before he brought the butt of his rifle forward and whacked him right in the nose, the force of the blow sending the bone right into the mans brain. Who in turn dropped to the ground like a rock.

Boone glared at the other two, their courage deflating instantly at the sight of their dead leader. But for some reason, the man holding Kyrie held firm. Before the sniper could do anything, the small courier once again surprised him. With amazing flexability, she kicked her small leg back, kicking the man in the forehead with her boot. The man yelled in pain as he let go and staggered back, clutching his bleeding forehead in pain. Then with lightening fast speed, she whipped out her combat knife and stabbed him in the neck, blood spurting from the fatal wound and all down her arms and onto her torn clothes. The other man screamed loudly and took off running down the street, like a coward

Breathing heavily, she stood up and swished her arm, flicking the blood off of her. She looked angry, scared, and stressed out, her hands shaking as she put her knife back into it's holder.

Stooping down, she picked up her bag and checked it. After making sure everything was still in there, she stood up and stared at Boone, once again, smiling at him. And it was her usual smile, not a forced.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded, picking at her torn leather vest. "I'm alright." She said with a shrug. "You?"

He shrugged as well. "Yeah."

She laughed slightly. "But this totally sucks, because I'm gonna have to get this fixed or find a new one! You know how hard it is to find something small enough to fit me? I have to cut off the ankles of clothes I find! Don't even get me started on metal armour!"

As Kyrie walked off to a store to sell some of her findings, Boone smirked slightly in her direction.

_Note to self._ He thought to himself. _Never take her height for a disadvantage._

Ever.

xx

Sweet! Boone is fun to write!

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Toodle pip!


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